1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brightness control in a transflective display, and more particularly relates to different adjustments of the backlight brightness level for different ranges of ambient light levels for improved power efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
A transflective color liquid crystal display (LCD) has two modes of illumination. In low ambient light conditions, a backlight can greatly enhance the legibility of the display. In bright ambient light conditions, the surface of the display reflects the ambient light and the reflected light is the primary source of illumination. The effect of the backlight becomes insignificant when the ambient light is sufficiently bright.
One method to conserve power is to shut off the backlight abruptly when the ambient light reaches a level at which the reflective light is strong enough to fully illuminate the display. To ensure that the switchover is not noticeable to the user, the backlight generally does not turn off until the ambient light is relatively high.